title: Sustained aberrant localization of KL-6 mucin and beta-catenin at the invasion front of human gastric cancer cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study sought to analyze the clinicopathological significance of KL-6 mucin, a type of MUC1, in gastric cancer and its relationship to β-catenin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subcellular localization of KL-6 mucin and β-catenin in gastric cancer tissues (n = 96) was detected immunohistochemically and its clinicopathological significance was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Samples with localization of KL-6 mucin in the surrounding membrane and/or cytoplasm of cancer cells at the invasion front (n = 50, 52%) had a higher incidence of deeper invasion (p < 0.0001), lymphatic vessel invasion (p = 0.0003), venous invasion (p < 0.0001), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.0001) and an advanced TNM stage (p = 0.0005). Furthermore, this localization of KL-6 mucin was associated with accumulated nuclear localization of β-catenin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In concert with aberrant localization of β-catenin, sustained localization of KL-6 mucin in the surrounding membrane and/or cytoplasm of cancer cells at the invasion front has a significant role in cancer progression.
authors.affiliation: Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery Division, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Huanli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Munehiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Ken-Ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mafune
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kokudo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1; D051176:beta Catenin